According to Dr. Kent Moors-- an adviser on energy matters to MoneyMorning.com and to a number of World Governments including the USA and China-- the recent discovery in the Ackaringa Basin by Linc Energy Ltd (LNC-ASX) is a "game changer" that will actually tip the balance of power, financially, politically and maybe even militarily, on the world stage. Those are

Oil is not called black gold for nothing. Oil runs the world right now, and has done so for over 100 years. Even given all of the hype about wind, solar and the natgas fracking bonanza, oil will run the world for the foreseeable future. Oil is vital to the immediate future of the human race, and there have not been very many "huge" oil finds in recent memory, until now that is, if we are to believe the January 23rd news release from Linc Energy (OTCQX:LNCGY) of Australia.

According to Dr. Kent Moors-- an adviser on energy matters to MoneyMorning.com and to a number of World Governments including the USA and China-- the recent discovery in the Ackaringa Basin by Linc Energy Ltd (LNC-ASX) is a "game changer" that will actually tip the balance of power, financially, politically and maybe even militarily, on the world stage. Those are

Complete Story »]]>
LNCGYRetirefundRockwood Bids To Swallow Talison Lithium After Talison Swallowed Salareshttp://seekingalpha.com/article/827171-rockwood-bids-to-swallow-talison-lithium-after-talison-swallowed-salares?source=feed_author_retirefund
827171
As you know, in business as well as in nature, there is a "food chain" that develops in any new market. The Lithium market seems to be following that age old analogy as just yesterday, Rockwood Holdings (NYSE:ROC) made a bid of $724 million to swallow Talison Lithium (OTC:TLTHF)

of Australia, for a 53% premium over Talison share price of one day earlier ($4.25 to $6.50 offer price see: Financial Post). Just two years ago in 2010, Talison was the bigger fish, swallowing Salares Lithium at a premium of 100% above the share price of Salares at that time (see Salares).

In any new market there are very tasty fish and some not so tasty. Some may not even qualify as fish, as the quick buck artists invade the new market with "mirage" companies of there own, with the intent of fooling novice investors with dreams

As you know, in business as well as in nature, there is a "food chain" that develops in any new market. The Lithium market seems to be following that age old analogy as just yesterday, Rockwood Holdings (NYSE:ROC) made a bid of $724 million to swallow Talison Lithium (OTC:TLTHF)

of Australia, for a 53% premium over Talison share price of one day earlier ($4.25 to $6.50 offer price see: Financial Post). Just two years ago in 2010, Talison was the bigger fish, swallowing Salares Lithium at a premium of 100% above the share price of Salares at that time (see Salares).

In any new market there are very tasty fish and some not so tasty. Some may not even qualify as fish, as the quick buck artists invade the new market with "mirage" companies of there own, with the intent of fooling novice investors with dreams

Complete Story »]]>
TLTHFROCRetirefundWe're Running Out Of Runway And The Euro Will Change From Its Current Formhttp://seekingalpha.com/article/642081-were-running-out-of-runway-and-the-euro-will-change-from-its-current-form?source=feed_author_retirefund
642081

"I am concerned. I have been constantly concerned since 2008/2009. We are now running out of runway. The euro will change from its current form."

Stephen Harper

Prime Minister of Canada

As I write this article, Stephen Harper is concluding an interview on the CBC National News with host Peter Mansbridge. Mansbridge and Harper are both in London for the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebration. After a cursory chit chat about the Jubilee celebration, Mr. Mansbridge brings up the subject of the present euro crisis, and seeks the Canadian Prime Minister's take on the matter. Harper's brow seems to furrow as he begins to speak.

Harper, who is the only G7 leader who is a trained economist, is frank and discusses his very deep concerns about a possible meltdown in Europe, and its consequences for his own country and the rest of the world's economies. He is uncommonly frank

"I am concerned. I have been constantly concerned since 2008/2009. We are now running out of runway. The euro will change from its current form."

Stephen Harper

Prime Minister of Canada

As I write this article, Stephen Harper is concluding an interview on the CBC National News with host Peter Mansbridge. Mansbridge and Harper are both in London for the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebration. After a cursory chit chat about the Jubilee celebration, Mr. Mansbridge brings up the subject of the present euro crisis, and seeks the Canadian Prime Minister's take on the matter. Harper's brow seems to furrow as he begins to speak.

Harper, who is the only G7 leader who is a trained economist, is frank and discusses his very deep concerns about a possible meltdown in Europe, and its consequences for his own country and the rest of the world's economies. He is uncommonly frank

Complete Story »]]>
ABXAUQGGGOLDGPLKGCPAASSGRCFPPPRetirefundLithium Water And Lithium Air Batteries Show Great Promise For Polyplushttp://seekingalpha.com/article/510361-lithium-water-and-lithium-air-batteries-show-great-promise-for-polyplus?source=feed_author_retirefund
510361
The Polyplus Battery Company was born in Berkeley, Calif., in 1991, the brainchild of Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

As head of the Polyplus Team, Dr. Visco is an internationally recognized expert in lithium batteries and fuel cells, is the chief inventor on 57 issued U.S. patents and more than 200 international patents, and has close to 100 publications. The entire team at Polyplus is made up of accomplished experts in the development of batteries, and in particular, lithium batteries.

The company has developed and patented protected lithium electrodes (PLEs) that are remarkably stable in a broad range of electrolytes, including aqueous and non-aqueous solvents. The invention of

As head of the Polyplus Team, Dr. Visco is an internationally recognized expert in lithium batteries and fuel cells, is the chief inventor on 57 issued U.S. patents and more than 200 international patents, and has close to 100 publications. The entire team at Polyplus is made up of accomplished experts in the development of batteries, and in particular, lithium batteries.

The company has developed and patented protected lithium electrodes (PLEs) that are remarkably stable in a broad range of electrolytes, including aqueous and non-aqueous solvents. The invention of

Complete Story »]]>
RDNAFTLTHFWLCDFRetirefundThe Chinese Yuan Is On Salehttp://seekingalpha.com/article/433791-the-chinese-yuan-is-on-sale?source=feed_author_retirefund
433791
Last year I went down to our local bank and I picked up some cash. The cash I bought was Chinese Renminbi. After I told my wife, she asked why I was buying Chinese money and if I was planning a trip to China.

In point of fact, I will go to China one day on my travels, as it is one area of the world I have not yet visited. However, that was not the point of my visit to the bank. I have since made several similar visits to the bank, to buy a currency that was, in my humble opinion, on sale.

Now you don't have to buy cash. New ETFs are cropping up to take advantage of this currency sale. They include RMB, CHII, CHIA, and CHIE. Each one seems to offer a variant on the theme, so do your homework before investing.

Last year I went down to our local bank and I picked up some cash. The cash I bought was Chinese Renminbi. After I told my wife, she asked why I was buying Chinese money and if I was planning a trip to China.

In point of fact, I will go to China one day on my travels, as it is one area of the world I have not yet visited. However, that was not the point of my visit to the bank. I have since made several similar visits to the bank, to buy a currency that was, in my humble opinion, on sale.

Now you don't have to buy cash. New ETFs are cropping up to take advantage of this currency sale. They include RMB, CHII, CHIA, and CHIE. Each one seems to offer a variant on the theme, so do your homework before investing.

China has a

Complete Story »]]>
RMBCHIICHIERetirefund3 Junior Gold Miners To Put On Your Radarhttp://seekingalpha.com/article/425801-3-junior-gold-miners-to-put-on-your-radar?source=feed_author_retirefund
425801
Friday's tape of the gainers on the Toronto Stock Exchange showed a turn in the prospects of junior miners and oil companies and may signal the bottom of an uptrend which has been expected by a number of analysts over the past 6-12 months.

Friday's tape of the gainers on the Toronto Stock Exchange showed a turn in the prospects of junior miners and oil companies and may signal the bottom of an uptrend which has been expected by a number of analysts over the past 6-12 months.

Of course, this is only a small sample of the juniors on the Toronto Stock Exchange, which number in the hundreds.

Investing in juniors is not for everyone. You must be vigilant in picking stocks in the

Complete Story »]]>
AOSDFSGRCFLSTMFPBEGFBAAJINFFSUUIFLSGGFAEGXFRTRAFTGBPPPRetirefundAs An Investor, Are You Familiar With The Uses For Lithium?http://seekingalpha.com/article/415361-as-an-investor-are-you-familiar-with-the-uses-for-lithium?source=feed_author_retirefund
415361Uses for Lithium and its derivatives

Other than the obvious talk about lithium batteries being used and/or developed for use in electric cars, lithium now powers your iPhone, your iPad, many of your laptops, your Android devices and your BlackBerry. It is more and more being used in all mobile devices and will be the dominant player there very shortly (lithium-ion battery and the lithium iron phosphate battery). Additionally, Lithium niobate is used to make cell phones.

Lithium is used in the production of high-temperature resistant glass and ceramics (think stove tops) and high-strength alloys used in new aircraft production. Lithium is used to absorb neutrons in nuclear fusion. Lithium can be combined with other metals (usually aluminum, cadmium, copper or manganese) to make airplane parts

Lithium hydroxide and lithium peroxide are used to purify air in submarines and on spacecraft. (Lithium peroxide reacts with carbon dioxide to produce oxygen.)

Other than the obvious talk about lithium batteries being used and/or developed for use in electric cars, lithium now powers your iPhone, your iPad, many of your laptops, your Android devices and your BlackBerry. It is more and more being used in all mobile devices and will be the dominant player there very shortly (lithium-ion battery and the lithium iron phosphate battery). Additionally, Lithium niobate is used to make cell phones.

Lithium is used in the production of high-temperature resistant glass and ceramics (think stove tops) and high-strength alloys used in new aircraft production. Lithium is used to absorb neutrons in nuclear fusion. Lithium can be combined with other metals (usually aluminum, cadmium, copper or manganese) to make airplane parts

Lithium hydroxide and lithium peroxide are used to purify air in submarines and on spacecraft. (Lithium peroxide reacts with carbon dioxide to produce oxygen.)

Complete Story »]]>
TLTHFSQMFMCRDNAFWLCDFRetirefundWhat If The Dow Were Measured In Gold?http://seekingalpha.com/article/313529-what-if-the-dow-were-measured-in-gold?source=feed_author_retirefund
313529
The Dow, measured in dollar terms, is at 12,000 at this writing. All things being equal, that doesn't sound like a disaster, but like a market that has chugged along, albeit slowly, through ups and downs, like you might expect. However, if one measures the Dow since 2000 in gold terms, the picture is much, much different. Here is a chart depicting that difference:

To demonstrate the effect of currency dilution, Casey Research developed a tool for re-indexing popular indices from dollars to gold. As they point out, doing so provides a more accurate picture of the dilution of investments made in dollars (and would work just as well in euros or other currencies).

As you can see from their chart, the Dow, priced in gold since 2000, instead of dollars, is now at 2,100.

A Dow at 2,100 in U.S. dollar terms would be an unmitigated disaster. Yet, there

The Dow, measured in dollar terms, is at 12,000 at this writing. All things being equal, that doesn't sound like a disaster, but like a market that has chugged along, albeit slowly, through ups and downs, like you might expect. However, if one measures the Dow since 2000 in gold terms, the picture is much, much different. Here is a chart depicting that difference:

To demonstrate the effect of currency dilution, Casey Research developed a tool for re-indexing popular indices from dollars to gold. As they point out, doing so provides a more accurate picture of the dilution of investments made in dollars (and would work just as well in euros or other currencies).

As you can see from their chart, the Dow, priced in gold since 2000, instead of dollars, is now at 2,100.

A Dow at 2,100 in U.S. dollar terms would be an unmitigated disaster. Yet, there

“The oil sands are a national treasure for Canada and the U.S. The resource is secure and comes from a friendly neighbour. In addition, much of the U.S. dollars spent on Canadian oil come back to America in trade.”

- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

While much of the U.S. heartland is suffering from severe unemployment and a loss of blue collar jobs, there is one place on the North American continent that is, in point of fact, the direct opposite.

The city of Fort MacMurray in Northern Alberta is, without a doubt, an incredible boom town at this writing. Young people from all over Canada, and now the U.S. are finding jobs in the six figure range, with barely a high school education. The Government of Alberta foresees a worker shortage of nearly 100,000 by 2015 according to the Calgary Herald. The only comparison I can think of is

“The oil sands are a national treasure for Canada and the U.S. The resource is secure and comes from a friendly neighbour. In addition, much of the U.S. dollars spent on Canadian oil come back to America in trade.”

- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

While much of the U.S. heartland is suffering from severe unemployment and a loss of blue collar jobs, there is one place on the North American continent that is, in point of fact, the direct opposite.

The city of Fort MacMurray in Northern Alberta is, without a doubt, an incredible boom town at this writing. Young people from all over Canada, and now the U.S. are finding jobs in the six figure range, with barely a high school education. The Government of Alberta foresees a worker shortage of nearly 100,000 by 2015 according to the Calgary Herald. The only comparison I can think of is

Complete Story »]]>
AOSDFSUCVEOILOILZTATRIGXOMCOPCEORetirefundElectric Cars Poised To Overcome Their Biggest Hurdlehttp://seekingalpha.com/article/309402-electric-cars-poised-to-overcome-their-biggest-hurdle?source=feed_author_retirefund
309402
Most electric vehicles don't go quite as far on a single charge as a standard car goes on a tank of gas, yet. But that's changing fast.

New EV range records seem to be set every week, and a small start-up company from Bochum just upped the range ante again.

BEA-tricks, spearheaded by engineer Daniel Sperling, modified a Citroen Berlingo with 10 of the same lithium ion batteries used in the SmartForTwo (total output: 180 kWh), and drove it 621 miles (1000 km) from Flensburg to Munich.

The little delivery van left a public eco-charge station in Flensburg and drove directly to the eCarTec in Munich, accompanied by an escort vehicle, with two drivers switching back and forth throughout the exhausting trip, which saw the van driving on country roads, highways, and the high-speed Autobahn. The modified delivery van reached Munich at the start of the eCarTec trade

Most electric vehicles don't go quite as far on a single charge as a standard car goes on a tank of gas, yet. But that's changing fast.

New EV range records seem to be set every week, and a small start-up company from Bochum just upped the range ante again.

BEA-tricks, spearheaded by engineer Daniel Sperling, modified a Citroen Berlingo with 10 of the same lithium ion batteries used in the SmartForTwo (total output: 180 kWh), and drove it 621 miles (1000 km) from Flensburg to Munich.

The little delivery van left a public eco-charge station in Flensburg and drove directly to the eCarTec in Munich, accompanied by an escort vehicle, with two drivers switching back and forth throughout the exhausting trip, which saw the van driving on country roads, highways, and the high-speed Autobahn. The modified delivery van reached Munich at the start of the eCarTec trade

Complete Story »]]>
TLTHFSQMFGMNSANFBYDDYAONEQHEVRDNAFWLCDFLHMAFAMELCLQMDLTUMEMCOELCRCARCARNRetirefundInvest In Lithium Before The Battery Rushhttp://seekingalpha.com/article/302347-invest-in-lithium-before-the-battery-rush?source=feed_author_retirefund
302347
As the world ramps up the production of electric cars, and as the mobile web takes center stage, the cost of lithium, used in the electric batteries of both industries, is rising along with demand. Current supply will not meet demand in the next few years.

Lithium is the lightest of all metals and is able to hold more energy per unit of weight than any other material, Lithium is already powering the mobile web boom as it ramps up. It is also now accepted that lithium will power the electric vehicle revolution, and that revolution is getting into full swing.

According to MSN, 428 million mobile web devices were sold in Q1 2011 alone. As the world becomes saturated with such devices, as well as millions of other smart devices, battery-grade lithium can only increase in value. Your iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android device, BlackBerry, etc, is probably powered

As the world ramps up the production of electric cars, and as the mobile web takes center stage, the cost of lithium, used in the electric batteries of both industries, is rising along with demand. Current supply will not meet demand in the next few years.

Lithium is the lightest of all metals and is able to hold more energy per unit of weight than any other material, Lithium is already powering the mobile web boom as it ramps up. It is also now accepted that lithium will power the electric vehicle revolution, and that revolution is getting into full swing.

According to MSN, 428 million mobile web devices were sold in Q1 2011 alone. As the world becomes saturated with such devices, as well as millions of other smart devices, battery-grade lithium can only increase in value. Your iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android device, BlackBerry, etc, is probably powered

Complete Story »]]>
SQMFMCTLTHFRetirefundGold Vs. Housing: A Contrarian View Of Valuehttp://seekingalpha.com/article/294971-gold-vs-housing-a-contrarian-view-of-value?source=feed_author_retirefund
294971
The gold bull keeps charging up a 10-year long hill and there are many who are currently riding it, including, to a degree, this writer. Recently I wrote an article on this site titled, "Gold does not have a price, gold is the price." My intention was to acknowledge the current investor sentiment in the perceived stability of gold and silver and bring attention to the fact that many people now (and in the immediate future) believe that most, if not all, paper or "fiat" currencies are being priced in gold (as opposed to gold as a commodity). It was the general sentiment that I was targetting, not particularly the bull run itself.

Does the bull still have steam? Yeas, I believe so. At least in the short term. I have been one of the bulls preaching the benefits of owning physical gold and silver for the past 3 years,]]>
Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:16:51 -0400Retirefund
By Retirefund:

The gold bull keeps charging up a 10-year long hill and there are many who are currently riding it, including, to a degree, this writer. Recently I wrote an article on this site titled, "Gold does not have a price, gold is the price." My intention was to acknowledge the current investor sentiment in the perceived stability of gold and silver and bring attention to the fact that many people now (and in the immediate future) believe that most, if not all, paper or "fiat" currencies are being priced in gold (as opposed to gold as a commodity). It was the general sentiment that I was targetting, not particularly the bull run itself.

Does the bull still have steam? Yeas, I believe so. At least in the short term. I have been one of the bulls preaching the benefits of owning physical gold and silver for the past 3 years,

Complete Story »]]>
GLDSLVXHBHDKBHTOLABXKGCNEMGDXGDXJSGRCFRetirefundGold Does Not Have A Price, It Is The Pricehttp://seekingalpha.com/article/289442-gold-does-not-have-a-price-it-is-the-price?source=feed_author_retirefund
289442
As gold passed the record $1900 USD mark this week, there were many articles, comments and commentary, both pro and con regarding what is generally termed "the price of gold". and "where the price of gold is going"!

The so-called "price of gold" is quoted in U.S. dollars and the comparison with the USD is what mostly makes headlines, even though countries as diverse as China, India, Russia, Brazil and Argentina are taking bold steps to increase their gold holdings. What many people are missing is that "gold" is the "price" of those fiat currencies.

For instance, if you had $1900 in U.S. cash in a safe deposit box, the price of that cash this week is one oz of gold. Given the macro environment, and the massive soverign debt of many countries (and in particular the U.S. and the eurozone countries) it may well be that, in a year's

As gold passed the record $1900 USD mark this week, there were many articles, comments and commentary, both pro and con regarding what is generally termed "the price of gold". and "where the price of gold is going"!

The so-called "price of gold" is quoted in U.S. dollars and the comparison with the USD is what mostly makes headlines, even though countries as diverse as China, India, Russia, Brazil and Argentina are taking bold steps to increase their gold holdings. What many people are missing is that "gold" is the "price" of those fiat currencies.

For instance, if you had $1900 in U.S. cash in a safe deposit box, the price of that cash this week is one oz of gold. Given the macro environment, and the massive soverign debt of many countries (and in particular the U.S. and the eurozone countries) it may well be that, in a year's

Complete Story »]]>
GLDSLVABXKGCAUYSGRCFGPLPPPAUQRetirefundAre The Euro And U.S. Dollar Sliding Into An Abyss?http://seekingalpha.com/article/289156-are-the-euro-and-u-s-dollar-sliding-into-an-abyss?source=feed_author_retirefund
289156"Just before the First World War in 1913, the German mark, the British shilling, the French franc, and the Italian lira were all worth about the same... At the end of 1923... the mark was dead, one million-millionth of its former self. It had taken almost ten years to die".

Adam Fergusson, author of "When Money Dies"

One of my uncles grew up in Germany in the lead up to WWII. When he was a kid he remembers his parents, and neighbors going to the grocery store, with wheel barrows (yes wheel barrows) full of German Marks. This was not the powerful, German Mark you knew just prior to the advent of the current Euro dollar. It was the remnant of a once powerful, fiat currency, that lost most of its value after the allies (of the first world war) demanded war reparations from Germany. Of course, there was

"Just before the First World War in 1913, the German mark, the British shilling, the French franc, and the Italian lira were all worth about the same... At the end of 1923... the mark was dead, one million-millionth of its former self. It had taken almost ten years to die".

Adam Fergusson, author of "When Money Dies"

One of my uncles grew up in Germany in the lead up to WWII. When he was a kid he remembers his parents, and neighbors going to the grocery store, with wheel barrows (yes wheel barrows) full of German Marks. This was not the powerful, German Mark you knew just prior to the advent of the current Euro dollar. It was the remnant of a once powerful, fiat currency, that lost most of its value after the allies (of the first world war) demanded war reparations from Germany. Of course, there was

Complete Story »]]>
SUCVEXOMABXGGKGCSGRCFNUSMFTLTHFWLCDFRDNAFBLDPSQMFSLRFXCFXAAUNZPPPRetirefundLithium: The Commodity of the 21st Centuryhttp://seekingalpha.com/article/252920-lithium-the-commodity-of-the-21st-century?source=feed_author_retirefund
252920
All indications are that by 2020 auto companies will be manufacturing more EVs and hybrid electric vehicles than gas powered cars. Certainly that is the case for China, India and Europe. America will trail this world-changing development, but will eventually be brought into the lithium economy kicking and screaming.

Rather than placing bets on which of the hundreds of labs around the world will develop the best battery, best technology or the most stable catalyst in its uses, I have been placing my money on the producers of lithium - specifically the small- and mid-tier group that for the past two years have staked the best lithium properties around the world.

Larger producers such as SQM of Chile produce lithium only as a by-product of its massive potash operations, and refuse to sign agreements with auto companies, preferring instead to have buyers purchase supply from the spot market (there is

All indications are that by 2020 auto companies will be manufacturing more EVs and hybrid electric vehicles than gas powered cars. Certainly that is the case for China, India and Europe. America will trail this world-changing development, but will eventually be brought into the lithium economy kicking and screaming.

Rather than placing bets on which of the hundreds of labs around the world will develop the best battery, best technology or the most stable catalyst in its uses, I have been placing my money on the producers of lithium - specifically the small- and mid-tier group that for the past two years have staked the best lithium properties around the world.

Larger producers such as SQM of Chile produce lithium only as a by-product of its massive potash operations, and refuse to sign agreements with auto companies, preferring instead to have buyers purchase supply from the spot market (there is